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New state-of-the-art Health Research Building to research drug delivery for fungal infections and nail disorders

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25.07.2007

The new University of Hertfordshire Health Research Building which will officially open this week will research new ways of delivering drugs to combat fungal infections and nail disorders.

The new four storey, building, situated on the College Lane Campus, which will be officially opened on Thursday (26th) by Ian Pearson MP, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, signals a strategic investment by the University in both its research potential in the health and human sciences and state-of-the-art training facilities for healthcare professionals.

The new building houses the University’s Health and Human Sciences Research Institute (HHSRI) within which is situated the School of Pharmacy which carries out research into medicines for effective clinical use.

At the moment, Professor Marc Brown, the School’s Chair in Pharmaceutics is undertaking research into whether spray powders might be an effective way to treat skin fungal infections.

“To date there are has been no systematic investigation into the properties of these types of powders,’ said Professor Brown. ‘Our aim is to develop a pharmaceutically elegant drug delivery system that will improve the localisation of therapeutic compounds to the superficial layers of the skin.”

Professor Brown is also researching the best types of medicines and ways of administering them for nail disorders such as onychomycosis and psoriasis which can be very painful and disfiguring for the sufferer.

“Any effective treatment must be able to overcome the obstacle presented by the hard and rigid nail plate,” said Professor Brown.

“We aim to design a pharmaceutically acceptable drug which can be applied to the nail and will penetration effectively enabling prompt treatment of the condition.”

Journalists are welcome to attend the opening of the Health Research
Building on Thursday 26 and should arrive at 1.30pm when a buffet lunch will be served. Tours of the building will be available after the opening.

Helene Murphy | Source: alphagalileo
Further information: www.herts.ac.uk

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